William Afton grew and became a collage graduate with an MBA in 1965. That is where he met Clara. His brilliant mind attracted her to him. He was obsessive, yes, but he was resilient. He knew what he wanted and tirelessly worked to achieve it.
Clara also had an intelligent mind. She graduated top of her class while William was second. She brainstormed ideas for characters with him, and the designs were entirely her idea. William's heart leaped in his chest whenever he simply looked at Clara. It truly was love at first sight. Soon, him at twenty-eight and her at twenty-two, they began dating.
Until he could make his lifelong dream come true, he worked as an accountant in New Harmony, Utah. His parents were sad to see him go, but they rejoiced that he would never again live in poverty.
It was around this time that he began to date Clara. It had been a few months before Clara asked William to meet her parents. At this time, William was mostly shy when he had to interact with people unprofessionally that were not his parents. He was skeptical, but wanted to make Clara happy, so he agreed to the meeting.
The streets of New Harmony were quiet; only the silent ambience of nightfall echoed through the air. He dressed in a black suit with a purple shirt and tie. Clara never understood his fascination with the color, purple, but she went along with him.
He finally reached the front door or her parents' house. The lights were on and he heard The Rolling Stones through the upstairs window, just above him. His anxious heart beat as he knocked on the door.
Clara eagerly opened the door. "Hey, Will! Nice to see you!" She hugged him. She wore a pastel pink dress with bright yellow flowers. He looked into her green eyes and found that he could not move nor speak. To him, she was the most beautiful woman in Hurricane.
"Don't just stand there, Willie," she said, still smiling. "Come in!"
He did as requested. The first of her family that he saw was her father. She introduced William to him.
"You're trying to take my daughter from me?" he said, arms crossed and his eyebrow arched.
William stuttered, unsure of what else to do or say. Suddenly, Clara's father started laughing.
"I'm just messing with you, William. Go, have a seat at the dinner table. My wife should almost be finished cooking."
Her father began walking back to the living room before stopping and turning to William again. "You can relax. You can be yourself around us. No need to put on a mask."
William let out a sigh of relief and followed Clara to the dining room. The rest of the evening was mundane. They talked and laughed; William felt more at home with Clara and her family than even his own parents.
The years advanced and it soon became 1970. His parents passed away, his father to lung cancer and his mother shortly after him. He mourned for them, but was a little relieved. Relieved that his father did not suffer and his mother did not have to strive through life without him for long.
He married Clara late in the year. That night, she practically begged him to provide a child for her. However, he refused, saying, "Patience, dear. I have work to accomplish before then." Everytime she would beg him for children, his answer was the same. He always was a careful man. He knew what he wanted and made sure not to provide any distractions for himself until he achieved it.
What was he trying to achieve? As a boy, he saw a magnificent dancing and singing animal. He recalled the joy that it brought to the families that saw it. For years, he dreamed of bringing such joy to newer generations of families. He dreamed of bringing the wonder and joy that he felt to the children of Utah, if not the entire country. He desired to inspire the children of the future the same as he was.
He left his and Clara's bedroom in their small apartment late one night in excitement, startling Clara.
"What is it, Willie?" she asked in an annoyed and frustrated tone.
"Remember that show I told you about? The one I saw as a child, Fredbear's? Well, I made some sketches and I want you to look at them." He placed scrap paper on the table before her. The illustrations were nearly perfect in her eyes, which she was a little biased. She beheld a yellow bear with a purple hat and bowtie in the left illustration. "Over here is his friend. My own creation. I've taken the liberty of calling him, Bonnie the Bunny. What do you think?"
Clara studied the illustrations and smiled. She married a child, but she loved him.
"Willie, I think they're amazing," she finally responded. William smiled. "But, do you even know how to get it started? How are we even gonna make them?"
"One step at a time, dear. Next, we need fabric and other materials. I can portray them myself."
"Do you plan on splitting in two?" Clara asked with a chuckle.
"No, no. I can portray them one at a time." William laughed when he saw Clara's perplexed expression. "I intend to stitch together suits for performers. I can portray them both at first. After the business grows, we can hire performers."
Clara grinned. "What is it?" William asked.
"You said we."
"Of course! You're a part of this as well!" He laughed. Then, silence filled the room. "I love you, Clara."
Clara said the same, then kissed him. That night, William finally granted her wish for a child. With his desires finally peering over the horizon, why not? Soon, his dreams and aspiration from years ago would come to fruition.